Grace Kelly
Young and impressionable, budding star Grace Kelly jumped at the opportunity to star in Mogambo in 1953. She said later, “Mogambo had three things that interested me: John Ford, Clark Gable and a trip to Africa with expenses paid. If Mogambo had been made in Arizona I wouldn’t have done it.”
During the long shoot, isolated in Africa, it wasn’t long before the beautiful young blonde caught Clark’s eye. She fell quickly for him too, despite their twenty-eight year age difference. She called him “Ba”, which is Swahili for “father.” They would spend the downtime between shots in their chairs next to each other, chatting and playing cards. He taught her to fish and they would often rise at 4:00am and sneak off together before shooting began. Grace admitted to a friend that they skinny-dipped in Lake Victoria. Costar Donald Sinden remembered walking into Clark’s tent one night to find them in bed.
Co-star Ava Gardner recalled, “Clark’s eyes were definitely on Gracie, and hers, for that matter, were on him. They were both single at the time, and it’s very normal for any woman to be in love with Clark. But Gracie was a good Catholic girl, and she was having a hard time feeling the way she did about Clark. Not to mention that being in Africa, with exotic flora and fauna all over the place, and Clark, strong and smiling and completely at home, made her love him more.”
When the production moved from Africa to MGM’s studios in London, Clark and Grace spent much of their time holed up in his hotel room. The gossip about their affair soon reached Grace’s mother and she flew to London immediately to chaperone. As she was more Clark’s age and had always admired him, she soon warmed up to the idea of her daughter becoming Mrs. Gable. It didn’t take long for Clark to catch on to what her ideas were and he quickly ended the affair. He ignored Grace’s phone calls and snubbed her at the studio. Grace was devastated.
On the last day of shooting, Clark gave Grace an expensive six millimeter camera. She was delighted and was hopeful that perhaps this meant he was willing to continue their romance. MGM publicists urged Clark to take Grace to the airport when she left London for Los Angeles. Photographers surrounded them as he gave her a polite kiss on the cheek to see her off. In front of everyone, she burst into tears.
Clark and Grace did see each other a few times after he returned to the United States upon completion of Never Let Me Go. He escorted her to the Academy Awards on March 25, 1954, the first time he had attended since escorting Carole Lombard in 1937. Grace had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mogambo but lost, as did Ava Gardner, who was up for Best Actress.
Grace was seeing two other recent costars at the time, Bing Crosby and William Holden. Clark was not in any place to compete and wasn’t interested in marrying her and so they drifted apart.
Grace gave up Hollywood for good in 1956, when she famously married Prince Rainier and became Princess of Monaco. They had three children. Grace died in a car accident in 1982, at age 52.
6 Comments
Linda
I wonder if Clark Gable was invited to Grace’s wedding in Monaco. Does any know?
Deidree94
Not sure. But frank Sinatra had been invited but he didn’t go.
Lynnie
They were not close friends, most of the gossip about CG and GPK was to help sell “Mogambo”, so no, he was not invited to her wedding. Prince Rainier took a while to warm to Grace’s small but close group of friends from Hollywood but eventually did become a great friend of Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant. David Niven had a home not terribly far from the Palace in Monaco and was occasionally a guest of Rainier and Grace.
BUT – Frank was the only male Hollywood friend who was invited to the wedding, but as Ava Gardner had also been invited, Frank chose to not come as he knew the press would cause trouble (Frank and Ava’s marriage was ending). His seat remained empty, so I imagine it was a last minute decision. (Many more came to her funeral, sadly) Grace and Rainier spent their 25th wedding anniversary, along with their three children, at Frank and Barbara Sinatra’s home. Cary Grant also continued to visit the Princely family after Grace’s passing.
So heck no, Gable was not invited, not a slight or anything like that, they just did not know each other that well – he was actually dating someone else when the rumored crush or affair or whatever with Grace made the rounds. Gable accompanied Grace to her first Academy Awards because she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mogambo. It was just how things worked then. I was always sad that Grace was basically alone the year she won – none of her family would come (they always thought she was unimportant, uninteresting and other awful things, and she loved them anyway), so on one of the hugest nights of her life, she sat next to IIRC her press agent. Life was not always rosy for Grace, but she was not a complainer and was kind and well liked by everyone she worked with. And very beloved by the people of Monaco.
Pingback:
Sage
Gable in no position to compete? lol.
Patti Walton
Clark and Grace did seem to have great chemistry in the movie, so I believe they probably did have an affair. As for Ava Gardner, it’s a good thing her hubby Frank Sinatra was with her on the shoot to keep an eye on his lusty wife, because if he hadnt been there she probably wouldve sunk her ruby red claws into Clark herself. I dont blame Frank for being there; Clark was a very sexy man. Rumour was Ava was a man-magnet and had an affair with one of the Mogambo staffers on the set after Frank left temporarily to return to L.A. As for Grace, there were other rumours during her marriage to Prince Rainier about her and Frank Sinatra sneaking off to have sexual trysts when Frank camr to Monaco to perform many times for Grace’s charity. Frank’s longtime valet, George Jacobs, said in his book that a few times when he accompanied Frank to Monaco, Grace and Frank had snuck off to some remote villa together with Grace telling her husband the excuse that she was going shopping. I believe that story too, as we know Frank was a ladies’ man, very attractive, and Grace invited him many, many times to come and perform in Monaco. These kinds of things were bound to happen.
That’s Hollywood!